• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Do graphics really matter? For real, do they?

RickyG

Faction Fan
Contributor
Joined
Aug 12, 2016
Posts
274
Location
Littleton Colorado
I love the Moment Death Wish! Interesting tip shape and graphics--in my opinion. I'm not crazy for the crop of super-subtle monochromatic skis.

I did enjoy "The Ski" mondrianesque graphics from back in the 244 days.
I can just hear George Carlin..."Today brought to you by Death Wish"...! Can you tell one ski manufacture from another at 4 meters? I can't.
 

ejj

Prairie Skier
Skier
Joined
Dec 4, 2015
Posts
300
Location
Minneapolis
I can just hear George Carlin..."Today brought to you by Death Wish"...! Can you tell one ski manufacture from another at 4 meters? I can't.

Well the Death Wish is a model. Some skis are easily identifiable if you like that brand. I kind of like that most skis have gone away from the goofy marketing tools like the tumors on the skis.
 

RickyG

Faction Fan
Contributor
Joined
Aug 12, 2016
Posts
274
Location
Littleton Colorado
ejj...I get the "Death Wish" is a model...think about it...I don't' have a "Death Wish", do you? It's a horrible name for a ski. Skis ever had "tumors" on them if so it's best I never saw them. With cars, architecture and other industrial design clean and pure if beautiful. The latest issue of Classic & Sports Car has an op-ed piece by Martin Buckley that when I read this I laughed out loud at the purity of the thought, "Today BMWs tend either to look like stealth bombers of dreary, generic SUVs of a type I never dreamed this company would produce. Some are so ugly it's hard to tell where the styling ends and panel damage begins". Life is too short to ski on, rude and/or ugly skis.
 

ADKmel

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Posts
2,344
Location
Southern Adirondacks NY
I predict: Sometime in the near future there will be a ski company that puts an electronic graphic display device as the top layer of the ski. Allowing the user to customize his ski graphic dynamically, while skiing, through an app on his cell phone.

It will happen.


this is a friends company- I think he could do that.. http://johnnyboycamo.com/

I have another friend at is a sign maker he makes fun ski toppers : they are Heads.
1618619743614.png
 

Ecimmortal

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Dec 20, 2015
Posts
393
Location
PDX
ejj...I get the "Death Wish" is a model...think about it...I don't' have a "Death Wish", do you? It's a horrible name for a ski. Skis ever had "tumors" on them if so it's best I never saw them. With cars, architecture and other industrial design clean and pure if beautiful. The latest issue of Classic & Sports Car has an op-ed piece by Martin Buckley that when I read this I laughed out loud at the purity of the thought, "Today BMWs tend either to look like stealth bombers of dreary, generic SUVs of a type I never dreamed this company would produce. Some are so ugly it's hard to tell where the styling ends and panel damage begins". Life is too short to ski on, rude and/or ugly skis.
It's literally....just a name.
 

David Chaus

Beyond Help
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
5,529
Location
Stanwood, WA

David Chaus

Beyond Help
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
5,529
Location
Stanwood, WA
I would like to think I evaluate a ski by its performance rather than graphics, but I’m probably just as turned off as anyone by unglued graphics.

I meant to type “ugly” but autocorrect came up with “unglued” and I’m going to leave it right there.

It’s kind of funny, Shamora has always loved the topsheets of her Nordica Nemesis. For this season I bought her a pair of Renoun Earharts, and her first comment was “they’re not very pretty.” She does love how they ski though, and has gotten used to the subtle design.
 

Pat AKA mustski

I can keep a Secret
Ski Diva Tester
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
4,871
Location
Big Bear, California
Graphics matter. If they didn’t, manufacturers wouldn’t change them so often. I don’t mind boring- the Kastles work for me, but I don’t like ugly or offensive graphics. Even if I loved a ski... I would look for an older model or wait a year if I hated the graphics. I don’t choose a ski based on graphics but I definitely reject a ski based on graphics.
 

ADKmel

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Posts
2,344
Location
Southern Adirondacks NY
Graphics matter. If they didn’t, manufacturers wouldn’t change them so often. I don’t mind boring- the Kastles work for me, but I don’t like ugly or offensive graphics. Even if I loved a ski... I would look for an older model or wait a year if I hated the graphics. I don’t choose a ski based on graphics but I definitely reject a ski based on graphics.

Totally agree. I don't buy for the graphics or to match my boots/coat- over the years I have had some ugly skis my Heaven's gate were ugly to me but I loved the ski. I probably wouldn't buy a ski with rude graphics. Having friends (see above) that could put a new top sheet on if I truly loved an ugly ski I could have my friends put a new top sheet on. There are some beautiful graphics- my liberty skis- I get compliments on the graphics from others- and still get the "what kind of ski is that" "what's VMT mean". I'll always be skiing a ski that I like how it skis not how it looks.


@RickyG here in Upstate NY We have DEATH WISH Coffee-- Vroom vroom- high test.. Lol
 

François Pugh

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
7,617
Location
Great White North (Eastern side currently)
I can't remember if I posted in this thread before, and I'm not wasting time looking it up, but in half a century of skiing I never bought a ski who's graphics I liked, except for one pair. I always bought based on performance and despite what they looked like. The exception, my deep snow tree skis, bought for this last season.
1618660579752.png

4FRNT Devastators.

Although I bought them without regard to graphic, I like the graphics.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
Moderator
SkiTalk Tester
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
12,912
Location
Reno
I wouldn't buy a ski because of its graphics. If it's good enough I'd look past graphics I don't care for. What bugs me are left and right graphics. Some are super cool but I have a hard time swapping side to side if they don't match. Same with Amphibio tech.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ogg

Ogg

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Jun 3, 2017
Posts
3,484
Location
Long Island, NY
I wouldn't buy a ski because of its graphics. If it's good enough I'd look past graphics I don't care for. What bugs me are left and right graphics. Some are super cool but I have a hard time swapping side to side if they don't match. Same with Amphibio tech.
I like swapping sides regularly and I can live with the graphics not lining up but Amphibio is a no go for me. The skis would have to really special(or maybe really cheap :huh:) for me to consider them.
 

Coolhand

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Jan 7, 2016
Posts
155
About 10 years ago, Volkl had some important skis with terrible graphics (Karma, Gotama, and Mantra, etc. with the Asian Samurai themes), that cost them several potential sales in my shop. Same with the current Revolt (95 and 104) models. There were/are a lot of older, more conservative, customers that automatically eliminate those skis from consideration just because of the edgy graphics.

Rossi also hurt themselves with the Euro/French, Artist Motiff, on several of their ladies skis of about that same vintage. They had some very good skis, that were almost unsellable because they were so ugly.

Currently, Fischer took a risk with the Hot Pink, Ranger 102FR in Men's sizes. But at least, they offer a toned down, blue version, for the more conservative. They were pretty successful with the Pink ski overall, but it was a dud in my shop. The blue outsold the pink 3 to 1.

Ski Logik sold like crazy when we had it. Just because of the graphics. Some of those skis were true works of art. Performance was "mixed".

Edgy graphics sell a few skis to a small percentage of skiers, but turn a much bigger percentage of the potential consumers off. I like Fischer's current approach of offering alternatives. If I could have had Volkl Karmas with just a bland, conservative, graphic. I would have sold a truck load of them.

Now, snowboards. That's a different story. Graphics are 90% of the sales appeal.
 

Eric Edelstein

ExoticSkis
Skier
Industry Insider
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Posts
267
Location
Vermont and France
Chipotle_Banana_2pack_2000x.jpg

How do ya like THEM bananas?
Chipotle Banana by Moment Skis

Perhaps one of the best graphics ever. Really.

JSK_SLACKER-UPHILLBOTHWAYS_ProductPage_3views_Final-03_f6be0876-af4d-4762-b717-badb45382adc_50...jpg

JSkis Slacker.
Why didn't anyone think of putting a nordic ski graphic on a blank alpine ski topsheet before?

Graphics seem to be all about being cool or being fun. I like both. Skiing a blank topsheet ski is boring most of the time...unless it's a super-secret proto (or only if you THINK it's a super-secret proto)..
 
Last edited:

tch

What do I know; I'm just some guy on the internet.
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Posts
1,542
Location
New England
I don't care about graphics. I bought a pair of Head Rock n Rolls sight unseen from @dawgcatching a long time ago based entirely on his recommendation of their skiability. None of my "mature" friends liked them and they used to make derogatory comments about how someone had vomited their margarita on my skis.
Then a young lifty at Powder stopped me in line and said "Man! Awesome graphics! Lemmy was so cool!" and I got a lot of unwarranted youthfulness points.

1619041145445.png
 

Sponsor

Staff online

Top